When Beezie Madden galloped into the ring as the second competitor in the two-horse jump-off of the $843,844 CN International, she knew what she needed to do. Nick Skelton and Arko III had jumped clear, but he left a window of opportunity.

With cool confidence, she shoved the window open and guided Judgement to perfect, forward distances that shaved more than 2 seconds off Skelton’s time with Arko.

After she crossed the finish line and looked up at the clock tower scoreboard, a huge grin ensued and she pumped the air with her fist before enthusiastically patting her black stallion while she cantered to the out-gate.

Their perfect performance over three demanding rounds left the pair as victors in the world’s richest grand prix, held as the culminating event of the Spruce Meadows Masters, Sept. 7-11 in Calgary, Alta.

Madden, 41, of Cazenovia, N.Y., joins an elite group–she’s the first woman and first American to win this prestigious class since 1997, when Leslie Howard and S’Blieft were victorious. George Morris, who won in 1988 with Rio, and Norman Dello Joio, the inaugural winner in 1983 riding I Love You, are the only other U.S. riders to have won the class.

Judgement (by Consul), owned and bred by Iron Spring Farm of Coatesville, Pa., is also the first U.S.-bred horse to take the title. Of the 47 starters, Judgement was also the only U.S.-bred horse in the field.

“He felt better than ever,” said Madden of her 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood. “Right from the first jumps in the schooling area he felt fantastic. He did one class during the week and jumped great. He was just waiting for an opportunity.”

The Canadians had a lot to cheer for. Mario Deslauriers incurred 1 time fault over the two rounds to place third riding Paradigm, and Eric Lamaze had a heartbreaking rail at the last fence in round 2 to place fifth with Hickstead.

Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum, who won the CN International in 2002, placed fourth riding L’Espoir Z, a 9-year-old, Zangersheide gelding (by Landwind II). One time fault was all that kept Beerbaum from the jump-off.

A Rewarding Decision

After Saturday’s torrential rains, which resulted in the BMO Nations Cup being canceled following the first of two rounds (see sidebar), the footing in the International Ring was still soggy on Sunday. After four days of relentless rain and drizzle, the weather cleared on Sunday, and the sun peeked through the clouds by 11 a.m. The riders, coaches and chefs d’equipe spent lots of time walking the course and examining the footing, deciding whether or not to start their horses.

U.S. riders Dello Joio and Jeff Campf scratched Glasgow and Lady-D, respectively. Madden also made a last-minute substitution. She had originally nominated Authentic, her Athens Olympics gold-medal mount whom she’d ridden in the previous day’s Nations Cup, but changed her mind when the conditions hadn’t greatly improved.

Course designer Leo-poldo Palacios carefully considered the circumstances and set his fences where the footing was firmest. Therefore, most of the jumps were set at the edges of the ring where the drainage was best.

“I made three courses since last night,” joked Palacios on Sunday afternoon.

The footing held up admirably, and the organizers took every effort to keep conditions as optimal as possible. After the 25th of 47 horses started, there was a 20-minute break to work the footing and adjust some fences.

Cayce Harrison, daughter of CN CEO Hunter Harrison, was the only rider to hit the wet ground during the class. Her horse, Coeur, threw a shoe after the first fence but jumped gamely until the triple combination. Then he tried to pat the ground at the A element, a triple bar, but slipped and swam through the fence. Cayce fell and slid underneath the B element, but the gray carefully jumped over her and the fence and continued through and over the C element.

She walked out of the ring with her father by her side, and it was announced that she suffered no serious injury.

Palacios’ first-round course received rave reviews as 13 competitors jumped clear rounds. The fastest 12 qualified for the second round, including three U.S. riders–Lauren Hough aboard Clasiko, McLain Ward on Sapphire and Madden.

For the second round, Palacios said he raised the jumps to “as big as any CN International class,” and a tight time allowed added to the difficulty.

Beerbaum and Deslauriers each negotiated the second round clean, but 1 time fault kept them out of the jump-off.

Ward and Sapphire looked as though they were going to join the jump-off until a rail at the second-to-last fence dropped to the ground. He placed seventh. Hough and Clasiko had two rails, including one at the challenging triple combination of liverpools, to finish 11th.

In the end, it was a face off between an American rider and a British rider. The best over the eight-effort jump-off would take home the winner’s share of $274,315. Skelton and Arko III, an 11-year-old, Oldenburg stallion (by Argentinus), went first and jumped clean in 48.02 seconds over the winding course, putting some pressure on Madden.

“But in that situation, whatever I did, Beezie would do better,” said Skelton simply. “I went as quick as I could go without leaving anything in danger.”

Madden and Judgement left out strides here and there, and his long galloping stride carried them to a time of 46.04 seconds, good enough for all the spoils, including a $41,631 bonus for winning two CN Precision Series grand prix classes during the 2005 season.

“It was just a fantastic day,” said Madden smiling. “I’m lucky to have the horses and owners I have. There are so many people involved, and it’s incredible what we have. This was quite a climax.”

For Deslauriers, third place was a huge accomplishment. His horse, an 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood (by Nabab de Reve), was competing in 1.40-meter classes this spring and only began the larger grand prix classes over the summer. This was Deslauriers’ fifth grand prix with the chestnut gelding, a former mount of Canadian grand prix rider Mark Laskin.

“This was a huge step up here,” said Deslauriers, 40, of Bromont, Que. “The course was difficult, but he handled it beautifully.”

Good Speed

New Zealand’s Bruce Goodin didn’t let the dismal conditions Saturday morning dampen his enthusiasm as he galloped his beautiful gray Telegraph to victory in the $63,292 BP Cup.

Going 23rd of the 28 starters, and battling the hardest rain of the class, he cut the corners and put the 11-year-old New Zealand Sport Horse (by Telereign) in all the right places to edge Great Britain’s Michael Whitaker aboard Laconda 25.

“Obviously, it’s a speed class and you have to go as fast as you can. But you have to judge how fast is too fast so you don’t slip up,” he said.
“When I came up to the ring, [U.S. rider] Richard Spooner said to try and avoid the middle of the jumps,” he added, advice he followed to direct Telegraph to the firmest take-off spots.

Goodin, now based in Sweden, also has an eventing background and said that experience as well as growing up riding up and down hills in New Zealand helped him feel confident over the many challenges of the course, including a steep, wet bank and the devil’s dyke.

Spooner, Burbank, Calif., also endured soggy conditions on Sunday morning before the sun broke through the clouds to take the $63,292 Molson Cup, held in the All Canada Ring.

Spooner, who went sixth in the order of go aboard Quirino 3, his 10-year-old, Oldenburg gelding (by Quick Star), said he was fortunate to tackle the course early when the footing was still intact.

“In a speed class, the most important thing is for the horse to pat the ground,” he said. “They’re slamming their front feet into the ground to get the height they need. When [it’s wet] they’re not able to pat the ground because it gives and their feet slide in the turf.

“I went as fast as I could,” noted Spooner. “I went slower in the turns and made shorter and tighter turns rather than faster and longer turns. With that footing, speed isn’t your friend as it would be in ideal conditions.”

Spooner said Quirino is naturally fast, but his advantage in the Molson Cup was all about timing, as the class was held on the final day of the five-day tournament.

“He’s a careful horse who doesn’t want to touch the lumber,” said Spooner. “And he stays that way throughout the week, unlike some horses who may jump several speed classes and come Sunday, at the end of the week, won’t be as careful. He’s perfect for this class because he stays careful.”

Spooner’s victory was somewhat bittersweet as his Nations Cup horse, Hilton Flight, was back at the barn after suffering an ankle and possible tendon injury in the difficult conditions the previous day.

“He threw both of his front shoes early on in the course. That obviously made it harder for him, and I was incredibly proud of him,” said Spooner.

“I think Spruce Meadows is working diligently to make the footing as good as it can be,” he said. “And the riders are working diligently to make sure their horses are safe. We are working together for the welfare of the horses.”

No One Wins The BMO Nations Cup

The chill in the air at Spruce Meadows for the $252,560 BMO Nations Cup on Sept. 10 wasn’t entirely due to the weather. After six nations completed the first round in Calgary, Alta., in torrential rain, the chefs d’equipe unanimously decided their riders would not return to complete the competition.

This decision caused a heated confrontation between the Federation Equestre Internationale officials, the Spruce Meadows organizing committee and the chefs d’equipe.

After the starting gate went up under the Spruce Meadows clock tower for the second round and no riders entered to walk the course, Spruce Meadows co-chairman Ron Southern took the microphone and addressed those assembled.

“All the people that are here today. The chefs feel that to bring their riders in here places them in jeopardy,” said Southern. “I don’t really think that’s the case. I am terribly disappointed.

“I’ve never been in this position before, so I’m not sure what to tell you. I’m very sorry and it’s not something I have the ability to change. So thank you very much everyone,” he concluded.

The conditions at Spruce Meadows deteriorated Thursday night, with light rain and drizzle that continued on Friday. Periods of heavy rain Friday night and all day Saturday, before the 2 p.m. class began, saturated the turf. An estimated 2 inches of rain fell just before and during the class, while the winds gusted to 35 miles per hour. With the temperature at 44 degrees, the wind chill was in the 30s.

Those who had attended the Spruce Meadows shows this summer said the weather conditions were comparable to when 14.25 inches of rain fell in June. During the National, June 7-12, 4 inches of rain fell during the week, while the Continental, June 15-19, endured 3.5 more inches of precipitation.

Course Designer Leopoldo Palacios considered the weather conditions when building his course, which featured 12 elements and 15 efforts. Four horse and rider combinations jumped clean and six had four-fault rounds over the first round. There were no refusals or falls, and all 24 riders made the time allowed.

After the first round, Great Britain led with 4 faults, followed by the Netherlands with 12. The United States, Canada and Germany were tied with 16 faults, followed by Belgium with 28 faults.

George Morris, chef d’equipe for the U.S. team (Hilton Flight/Richard Spooner, Ilian/Schuyler Riley, Miss Independent/Laura Kraut, Authentic/Beezie Madden), was adamant that the conditions were unsafe to continue.

“Top horse people care for their horses. They would not jump their horses in these conditions,” he said. “It’s astounding the powers that be don’t read the FEI rulebook that says the welfare of the horse above all. That means [above] money, that means [above] money, that means [above] television. That means the horse above all considerations. That is horse sports.”

Canadian Chef d’Equipe Torchy Millar also noted: “It was obviously clear that the organizing committee wanted a second round. I’m surprised at the stance they took, quite honestly. Their opinion of what was safe flies in the face of the opinions of 30 of the world’s best riders and coaches.”

At about 5 p.m., Ian Allison, the vice president of media and television services for Spruce Meadows, made an official announcement after the organizing committee met to discuss the day’s events.

“At the conclusion of the first round of the BMO Nations Cup, Leopoldo Palacios, the course designer, in cooperation with the ground jury, veterinary commission and the organizing committee, made adjustments, because of the conditions, to the second round course,” said Allison. “[It] had been planned, at the onset of today’s dramatic weather conditions, to move the standards between rounds. But we also lowered a number of obstacles. I am sad to say there will not be a second round. The 2005 BMO Nations Cup will go into the history books with no winner as no nation completed the two rounds of competition.”

Allison noted that never in the 30-year history of Spruce Meadows had an event been canceled due to poor weather. “We have rescheduled. But we have never canceled an event in the International Ring,” said Allison.

“It’s always more difficult to work in trying conditions,” he added. “Ask the 300 volunteers here. Ask the cameraman at the top of the grandstand all day. I know the riders and respect their talents. The chefs d’equipe make the decision and are the managers. However, when the gate was put up and the green light was on, we were having a party and no one arrived.”

Kraut, who was the U.S. team’s third rider, posted an eight-fault score with Miss Independent. Their two rails came at the triple combination late in the course.

“When we walked the course we felt it was a fair course under the conditions,” she said. “Not one rider thought not to go in the first round. We were really excited. But at the end of the third [group of riders], I started to hear grumblings at the in-gate. The horses were starting to jump poorly. I think when Gerco Schr?’s horse and when Beezie’s Authentic jumped and had rails down, that made everybody’s mind up.”

When the wind picked up and the rain continued during the break between rounds, the chefs d’equipe and the riders finalized their decision.

“The trees were blowing sideways,” noted Kraut. “I was going to go [into the second round] with a hood over my helmet to block the wind. It was incomprehensible how bitter cold and wet everyone was. It was really extreme. I’ve never shown in weather like this.”

Kraut was proud of Miss Independent for her fortitude through the first round. “She was making efforts I couldn’t believe,” she said. “When I got to the triple the footing was chewed up. She had nothing to push with and had A and B down, and somehow she got over C. Everyone felt that the overall conditions, not just the footing, contributed to unsafe and unhealthy conditions for the horses.”